Baguio City- At the age of eight, Methuselah Molina should have been running and playing with other children in their neighborhood. But for two years now, he has been silently dreaming of that day to come again.
Methuselah was five years old when his strength slowly left his young and supposedly healthy body. At first, the little boy tended to lose his grip on things that he holds. Sometimes, he just falls off his feet without any reason. His situation worsened that he was rushed to the hospital one day in 2018 and was confined for days.
Doctors’ assessment revealed that Methuselah suffered from subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a fatal brain complication which can occur several years after having measles. The complication is rare that it occurs in 1 out of 25,000 cases.
According to Mariel, Methuselah’s mother, the boy has been confined twice in 2018 and 2019. Tears welled Mariel’s eyes as she recalled the days when his son had to be confined in the hospital. But the worst was yet to come.
In 12 January 2020, Methuselah was intubated and after a month, he slipped into comatose. After 10 months, the boy was released from the hospital but was again confined due to pneumonia. It was only on April 2021 that Methuselah was able to go home but with him is his medicines, mechanical ventilator, and other medical equipment that help him continue to live.
Aside from worrying about her child’s health, Mariel and her family also had to think about the expenses of Methuselah’s medication. There came a point that Mariel already wanted to give up on her son.
“Sinuko na namin siya, pero siya ay lumaban. Kahit mahirap, nag-oonline selling for a cause kami para sa mga pangangailangan niya. Noong nasa hospital kami, nagbebenta ako ng pagkain at kung anu-ano para kumita”, Mariel shared.
“Malaking tulong po ang DSWD na tumutulong sa mga may sakit. Hindi ko po ineexpect na sampung libo ang ibibigay nila. Alam siguro ni Lord na ito iyong kailangan ng anak ko”, Mariel added.
Methuselah has been availing of DSWD’s medical assistance since 2020. The assistance is used for Methuselah’s medical needs. The assistance is given under the Expanded Assistance to Individual in Crisis Situation (E-AICS). It aims to provide immediate support to individuals and families in difficult circumstances such as Methuselah and Mariel.
Although the DSWD and other institutions have already extended assistance to the family Methuselah is still in need of additional support to continue the fight for his life. For individuals who would like to help Methuselah on his battle, you can directly communicate with Mariel Molina at +63977-650-8196. #DSWD FIELD OFFICE CAR, SOCIAL MARKETING UNIT, NERIZZA FAYE G. VILLANUEVA-TRINIDAD
